Recalls and Relationships
by QueenCheetah
Summary: When a toxic scandal breaks out in the business world, Seto Kaiba must try to save his company from ruin. But will he end up losing something more important in the process? Warning: First attempt at puppyshipping. Short and somewhat angsty.
1. Chapter 1

Ruin.

Complete and utter ruin.

...f***.

Seto Kaiba's breathing was abnormally fast. He stared at the television in horror. His office phone and personal cell had both been ringing non-stop, but he ignored them.

The reporter's statements only grew more and more damning as the broadcast continued.

"-associated with the Japanese mega-corporation known as the 'Kaiba Corporation,' or 'KaibaCorp' for short. So far there have been no deaths, but the number of affected people has risen to over twenty-three consumers- including nineteen children- in multiple regions."

The young CEO closed his eyes. He was struggling not to panic as he reflected on the unfolding disaster.

Apparently their latest line of Duel Monster figures had been manufactured with illegally high levels of lead-based paint. Neither Seto nor any of his direct underlings had any idea, and by the time they found out, it had already blown up into a full disaster.

There were little kids sitting in the hospital right now, being tested for poison. And as the head of the Kaiba Corporation, it was his fault.

Seto finally regained enough composure to dial his top employees and issue the necessary commands. He knew the investors and shareholders would demand answers, but it was too soon for him to say anything definitive. He knew the dangers of responding to a scandal when one had incomplete information.

Though the latest evidence was highly incriminatory- several of KaibaCorp's recently released Duel Monsters Figures had proved to have a disturbing amount of lead coating. 'Lead' referred to a toxic metal sometimes illegally substituted for other materials to cheapen production costs. No one was seriously injured, but there was still the chance of harm befalling the smaller children who had come in contact with the toys.

"Seto? Hey, Seto?" A bold voice sounded from in front of the corporate leader's lavish desk.

The eldest Kaiba didn't reply right away. He was having trouble tuning out that damned newscast.

"Hey, you in there?" The blonde employee frowned at his unresponsive boyfriend. "Seto?"

"What." His exhausted, icy-blue eyes barely shifted towards the younger teen. Normally the brunette's office would be off-limits to all other employees (save his secretary). But for the past eight months Jounouchi Katsuya had worked as part of the security team for the Kaiba Corp office; and was allowed full access to (nearly) every part of the building.

The CEO's private bathroom, for example, was still off-limits.

The younger duelist was unnerved by the dragon master's dull tone, but didn't say anything.

"Um, well, I know there ain' much I can do, but if you need anythin' I'll be waiting in the reception area, ok?"

"The... reception area?" The business executive was still dazed.

"Uh, yeah... outside your office?" The other teen pointed to the massive wooden doors. "There's some magazines n' stuff- I'll be quiet."

Kaiba was still stupefied, but now it was because of what he heard from the golden-haired teen.

"You- you would really stay?"

Jou blinked. "Eh? Well, yeah- I mean, I dunno if I can be any help, but this seems like it's gonna be a giant mess of-"

"No- I mean... you're not going to leave me? Even though KaibaCorp might be... finished?"

Jounouchi stared in disbelief. "Didja really think I would leave you?"

The look on Seto's face was enough of an answer.

Jou sighed and walked around the business magnate's desk. "If you weren' under so much pressure a'ready, I'd smack you for that." The blonde grabbed one of his boyfriend's shoulders. "Look, it don't matter if you only got a couple of pennies in your pocket- you'd still be the same ol' moneybags to me. Some stacks of paper doesn't make you a different jerk than the one I fell in love with."

There was a snort of protest from the other, but Jou continued on. "'Sides, maybe this is one of those _'silver lining'_ things- you've been missin' out on so much lately, and I know Mokuba would love to spend more time with ya. Me, too."

He smiled widely, clearly expecting some form of agreement. The shorter duelist nearly jumped when the businessman yelled instead.

"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, MUTT?! This isn't about spending time with Mokuba- it's about an economic disaster!"

Corporate cataclysm or not, Jounouchi Katsuya was not going to let his boyfriend talk to him like that. They'd been dating for a while, and they were both getting better at handling their tempers... but when it came to serious situations such as this... well...

The young security officer folded his arms and gave the executive a strong look. "First, keep your voice down. I'm not gonna get in a screamin' match righ' now. Second, I understand enough. I've been at rock bottom myself, ya know. It ain't pleasant, but there's always a way up. Third, don' start calling me 'mutt' again. You know I don' like it."

Kaiba sighed, but didn't speak. Jou took it as a sign of distress and hugged his partner from behind the office chair.

"Look: Mokuba's fine, I'm fine, and you're fine. There's nothin' more important than that. S'long as that's true, we can make it. You an' I've both been at the bottom before, an' we made it back up, right? So who's to say we can' do it again?"

The brunette made a noncommittal grunt, and Jounouchi let go so he could move in front of him.

"Besides, you're forgettin' somethin'- I can get another job, too. Hell, maybe I'll find a bigger apartment, an' then you two can come an' live with me!" Jou suggested eagerly.

But Seto shook his head, not even looking at the warm blonde. "No. I will never let Mokuba have anything but the best."

Jou felt a twinge at that comment, but ignored it.

The slender tycoon groaned. "This is a nightmare..."

The brash security guard pointed at his boyfriend's nose. "Hey, none'a that. Don' forget, I've been watchin' alot of your employees at the main office building. It's not your fault, an' I don't think it's anyone I've seen's fault either. So it's either someone not very close to your main center, or it's another company's fault."

Kaiba remained silent. Ever since he'd 'hired' Jou to work at KaibaCorp, the blonde had proven to be surprisingly perceptive.

"Look, either way, we'll work somethin' out, alright? It migh' get a little rough, but we'll make it work." Again, the blonde hugged the unresponsive businessman, and was slightly disappointed when he didn't get any reaction. Jou was running out of encouraging thoughts: for both of them.

Just then, a raven-haired boy raced into the room.

"Hey big brother! Did you see what happened?!"

Seto nodded. "Yes, I saw... and I think we need to talk."

Mokuba looked confused, but he stepped closer to the desk.

Kaiba sighed heavily. He wasn't sure how to tell his beloved little brother that their massive, multi- _billion dollar_ corporation... might be completely ****** by tomorrow morning.

"Mokuba... there may be some significant... _changes_ in our lifestyle, soon."

"Oh. Oh!" Mokuba gasped. "Oh my gosh, Seto, you mean-?!"

He nodded. "Yes. It might be a big shift for us, but I want you to know that if-"

Mokuba ignored his brother and ran at Jou. He tackled him to the ground and nearly shouted as he gave him a powerful hug.

"Holy Skittles, I'm so super mega-happy! This is _awesome!_ "

Jou and Seto exchanged quizzical glances.

The blonde carefully pried the pre-teen off of his torso. "Erm, call me crazy; but I think you're missing somethin' here, squirt."

"What do you mean, 'missing'?" Mokuba stared at Jou before noticing his left hand. He gasped.

"SETO! How could you?!"

"Mokuba, I don't think you understand how I plan to-"

The shorter boy just glared. "I'm sorry, big brother- but there's no excuse for forgetting to buy a ring!"

"Ring?" The older Kaiba was dumbfounded- what ring? But then Jou started choking and he realized what his little brother was implying.

"What- oh! **NO** , Mokuba; that's not what's happening. I'm talking about what happened with KaibaCorp today- haven't you seen the news?"

"Oh... so you're not-"

" **NO**. No, we definitely are  not."

The intensity of Seto's reply nearly stopped Jou's heart. The way he'd said those words so firmly and decisively... Jou felt hurt. Hadn't he just proven that he would never leave him? But it sounded like Seto wouldn't even allow the _idea_ of serious commitment to be brought up.

He shook his light-colored hair from side to side. 'Nah... I'm jus' bein' touchy...' Even Jou knew that he had a rather bleak outlook on heavy relationships. After his harsh childhood and early teens... well, it wasn't surprising that the blonde would have trust issues.

Mokuba began to explain the updated situation to his older brother, but Jou's mind blocked out their words. His mind started racing against his will, and he thought back on the past few months.

What was he to Seto, anyway? The brunette said they were boyfriends, but sometimes Jou wondered what he was to the tall billionaire. Heck, the dragon-master duelist thought the blonde would leave if he wasn't rich anymore- did Seto really think so little of Jou...?

Years of abuse had left the American-born teen with fragile grasp of close, emotional bonds. The stubborn duelist could shake off most things, but when something actually struck a nerve... it was very painful. And right now, he was hurt.

The Brooklyn native's shoulders slumped. If Seto had _really_ thought Jou would leave, he evidently didn't know him... or he didn't care to try.

All the blonde wanted was for someone to take him seriously- someone who felt that warm bond, and every once in a while would say those three, short words...

Jou's eyes widened in dread as he realized something.

Seto had never once told him, 'I love you.'

At first Jou didn't let it bother him- he knew the CEO wasn't a touchy-feely kind of boyfriend. But after their three-month anniversary, the blonde had said it several times, and never gotten a reply.

At first Jou mentally excused the other teen's coldness as social awkwardness and inexperience with relationships. But now it was starting to look like it could be something else- unrequited feelings.

Jou swore under his breath. Crap, was he ever stupid- the young tycoon had just been feeling detached from other people.

'Aw, man; he just needed someone he could trust without worrying that they'd try an' steal his corporate laptop while he was sleepin'.'

The blonde thought back to six months earlier- Kaiba had all but forced Jou into working for him by using his father's debts as a surety. Then he'd found it was more fun to tease Jou when he was his literal 'superior.' Now Jou was living with him, and he _still_ didn't even trust him.

Seto Kaiba didn't even know who his partner was.

Jou re-focused his thoughts when he heard Mokuba turn on the news. He listened as the reporter declared that it was the manufacturing company who had tainted the toys and supplied them to several distributors, and that they were going to be charged. Meanwhile, KaibaCorp wasn't going to be held responsible. Which meant that the company wouldn't suffer much damage in the market tomorrow.

The crisis now averted, the two brothers began talking in more positive tones. But five minutes later, Jou realized that Kaiba still hadn't looked in his direction. Not once. He didn't ask Jou how he felt, or thank him for giving him support. Either he didn't appreciate it, or maybe it simply didn't mean anything to him. The last thing Jou ever needed in his life was more personal drama (or financial issues); and yet he'd still promised to give everything he could to help the two brothers.

He would _never_ expect Kaiba to put him before Mokuba, but Jou thought he was at least another significant part of his life.

But that feeling was starting to seem like an illusion.

He waited five more minutes, but neither Kaiba turned to him for a second. He wanted to share in their relief, but all that he could focus on was his boyfriend's reaction to everything. Yelling in misdirected anger, fervidly denying commitment, and ignoring or dismissing his support...

Jou felt a dull pain in his chest as he walked out of the ornate office.

His leaving wasn't even noticed.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ten minutes earlier:_

"But Seto, didn't you see the up-to-date report? They're not just blaming KaibaCorp anymore!"

" _What?_ "

Mokuba quickly ran to the tv and changed the channel.

"In an update on the recent lead poisoning case, it's just been revealed that KaibaCorp was _not_ the sole distributor of the now-confirmed tainted toys, nor are they exclusively responsible."

The head of the company nearly passed out as the reporter continued on.

"...it's been discovered that several other companies have been distributing toys made with the same contaminated materials, and seventeen more victims have been officially diagnosed with minor cases of lead poisoning. Authorities quickly linked the hazardous materials to a single manufacturing plant located in Hong Kong- it appears that none of the Japanese distributors were aware of the switch to dangerous materials, and will likely not be held responsible. Official inquiries will still be made, but-"

"See?" Mokuba pointed to the screen. "It was some greedy manufacturers- not us!"

The relieved executive nodded mindlessly. 'Still, that's distressing; what happened with those children...' Seto made a mental note to pay the hospital bills of those involved.

It would, of course, be an _anonymous_ contribution. If Kaiba _openly_ paid the hospitals, it would appear as though KaibaCorp was still somehow guilty, and the company would suffer. It was crucial for Seto Kaiba to keep up his 'wholly heartless' facade to ensure his company's strong reputation. In the business world, generosity meant weakness- it hinted at poor spending, irrational empathy, or even concealed guilt. But Seto donated numerous times in secret (out of his own pocket) to various causes he deemed worthy.

Mainly those for underprivileged children.

The relieved CEO began musing aloud. "I'll have to contact the heads of several local and government agencies- they'll need information on the tainted products. I want them to do a strong and thorough investigation."

"They won't be able to sweep this under the rug." Mokuba nodded. "They're gonna pay!"

Seto numbly agreed. He thought back on what Jou said- how it probably wasn't even his company's fault.

It hadn't really hit him before- he'd been too shocked- but Jou had been right. The loud duelist was far more keen than Kaiba had ever given him credit for (at least, prior to dating him). And the loyal pup had promised to stand by them and support them- even offering his home. The brunette gave a long-held sigh of relief.

He was thankful that they wouldn't have to take up his offer (he wasn't sure Mokuba could handle losing 90/100ths of his living space) but it had been well-meant.

It seemed like they were going to be fine.

"Hey, Seto? Where'd Jou go?"

...or so he'd thought.

Jou huffed as he walked down the streets of downtown Domino. He wasn't sure where he was going; and he really didn't care. All that mattered was clearing his head, 'cuz right now he was too peeved to think straight. He was struggling not to kick the random trash on the curb when he saw a familiar building.

He mumbled to himself as he saw the lit 'OPEN' sign. "What the hell... not like I'm doing anythin' else today." He shrugged and headed through the restaurant's doors.

Jou sat in his favorite booth, thinking about the last time he had eaten at Burger World. He'd been treating Mokuba after he got a perfect score on his math test. The kid was smart.

A few minutes later, Jou was wolfing down several burgers and drowning his sorrows with a large strawberry shake. He had just finished his fries when his phone began buzzing. He checked the ID.

'/Blue Dragon./'

The blonde ignored it and put the phone away. He just wanted to finish his junk food in peace.

The phone rang two more times before Jounouchi finished his meal. After paying the bill he stepped back outside- only to see a polished, jet-black limousine parked in front of the restaurant.

He held back a groan- there weren't many people who would pull up to a 'Burger World' restaurant in a danged limo.

Sure enough, one of the doors opened, and a familiar brunette gestured for him to get in. Jou huffed before grudgingly sulking his way over.

He slid into the luxury vehicle without a word. He made a point of ignoring the other teen- instead, he looked out the windows as downtown Domino passed by.

"Jou." Kaiba's voice was hardly full of concern; it sounded more like an order. It didn't help mollify the other teen.

"Jou, what's wrong?" Now the brunette sounded _slightly_ upset.

Jou kept glaring out the window, but he replied in a terse tone.

"How'dja know I was at 'Burger World?' I never said you could track my phone."

Seto blinked at the rough response. "I didn't know where you were- you left without saying anything and you weren't answering your phone. I had it Geo-tagged in case of an emergency, and I decided this instance qualified."

The blonde tried- he really, _really_ tried- but he couldn't stop himself from blowing up at those words.

" _What the hell_ , Seto?! Whatever you might think, I'm not'ta damned object or a pet! You can't jus' go bugging my cell phone without telling me!"

Seto was surprised- he hadn't expected Jou to be so upset. He'd figured the teen just had a sudden craving for burgers after he left the office. But it seemed like this was something darker.

"Puppy, where is this coming from? What's going on?"

Warm tears began building in the other teen's eyes. "You don' trust me. You thought I'd leave you! You don' even know who I am! You never say 'I love you' an' you yelled at me when I tried to comfort you! An' you didn't even apologize after that!"

The young executive stared- when had those things started bothering Jou? He was starting to feel uneasy. The scandal from earlier today had been upsetting for everyone, yes; but had it really been _that_ distressing for Jou?

"I nearly lost my company." Kaiba buried his nervousness under his stoic tone. "I think I deserved to be upset."

The blonde felt like he had shards of ice growing in his heart. And it hurt.

"Yeah, you deserved to be upset- but that doesn' mean you can take it out on me." Tears started coming from Jou's amber eyes. Thoughts of the past three months began spreading venomously through his mind- long nights at the office, virtually no time together, little-to-no affection or attention... he turned his head away.

He loved his boyfriend- more than anything- but he couldn't take his lifestyle.

"I'm sorry, moneybags; but I don't think I can do this."

The tall brunette froze, and his azure eyes widened. "What?"

"I know you're sayin' today was a really bad incident... but the thing is- life's full of this stressful crap. There's gonna be more days like today, an' I'm not gonna let you scream or insult me again. The way you handled this... tells me you think more of your business than you do 'bout me."

Kaiba nearly groaned. He still didn't see why his lover was so upset.

"You know how big the company is- if KaibaCorp went under, thousands of people would be out of a job. Don't be selfish."

" _Selfish?!_ _"_ Jou yelped in shock.

Oh, that was _**it**_. His face scrunched in fury as he all but screamed.

"I have been the mos' unselfish boyfriend on the planet! I don't complain about your long days, or how we never have 'real' dates in public, or how you can' even keep track of how long we've been dating!" The blonde seemed to be growing more and more frenzied. "And now you're actin' like I wanted things to fail! I wasn't _tryin_ ' to get people fired- I was _tryin'_ to help you deal wit' it all so you could figure out somethin' that could help _every_ _body_! I was _tryin'_ to _support_ you an' give you _ideas_!"

Kaiba decided to wait for Jou to finish his rant before speaking.

Most of the energy seemed to finally drain from the other duelist, and he sighed dejectedly.

"Look, I know ya love Mokuba, an' I love that kid too; but when I mentioned takin' time off to spend with your loved ones, you didn' even think of me. You jus' insisted that it was an economic disaster, and I shouldn't worry about your brother. I don' even remember the last time we spent even an hour together." Jou bit his bottom lip sadly. "Jus' an hour."

The billionaire frowned. "And yet _you're_ the one always pushing me to spend more time with Mokuba, always trying to get me to sleep earlier, always giving me space- Tell me, do you even _want_ to spend time with me?"

Jou's mouth gaped open. He couldn't even take in what his boyfriend was saying.

 _'Not want to spend time with him?'_

His stomach clenched as he shook his head. "You really think I don't? You really don' know why I do those things? An' what I want?" Jou's eyes were overflowing with clear, falling pain. "What am I to you, Seto? What do I mean to you? You keep tabs on me withou' askin' permission; you trust me wit' your home, but not your heart; and you don' even think about 'us' maybe bein' in a serious relationship."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow in faint incredulity. "We've only been dating for three months- do you expect me to say 'I love you' and make deep commitments?"

Jou felt his chest fully freeze. His heart stilled for one painful, prolonged moment. He still didn't know what Kaiba saw him as...

...but at least now he knew what he _didn't_.

The shine seemed to leave Jou's hickory-colored eyes, and he replied in a dead tone.

"It's been five months- almost half a year. An' no, I wasn't expectin' you to put me in your will or propose- I just thought that you'd have a' least given some thought to 'us'."

To Seto's shock, Jou opened the unlocked limo door and shifted towards it.

"Y'know I'm lookin' for more than a casual fling. So if that's all you're lookin' for... well, ya need to look someplace else. 'Cuz I ain't gonna fool myself with anything un-serious."

The blonde was now climbing out the door.

"I still wish ya the best of luck." The thin blonde stepped out of the limo. "Goodbye, Kaiba."

The billionaire was hurt when he realized Jou hadn't even used his first name. By the time he understood what Jou had said, he was too stunned to reply, and the door was shut with a decisive * _thud_ _*_.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days had passed, and Mokuba Kaiba was becoming increasingly concerned for his older brother. The revelation of KaibaCorp's innocence in the lead-toxicity incident had brought some slower days to the office. Most of their associates and competitors were busy inspecting their own stocks for lead, or even preparing legal action against the horrid manufacturer. Which provided the CEO with a short reprieve from his over-extended duties.

But only Mokuba and Roland knew how well-timed the break really was.

The blue-eyed executive was all but suffering a breakdown. His mind felt foggy all the time. It was like a thick mist was smothering his thoughts- they were muddled, and didn't seem to go where he wanted them to go.

Every night he went home, and Jou wasn't there. Dinners were painfully quiet, and Mokuba seemed depressed. The mansion felt stuffy and dead. But the worst thing was going to sleep in his massive, empty bed- no puppy to literally pull him onto the mattress and force him to fall asleep after too many hours on the computer. No one to snuggle up to him in the middle of the night, hogging all the blankets and nearly pushing Seto off the bed. He hated not seeing that soft, blonde mess of hair on the pillow next to his when he woke up.

...though he didn't exactly miss the thunderous snoring.

As he ruminated on the past few days, the dragon duelist felt his eyes starting to close of their own will. He hadn't eaten much in the past 72 hours. Seto groaned in frustration- his energy level was steadily dropping, and his mind was still unclear.

Had it really been five months already? They had passed so quickly- or maybe it was just the fact that they hadn't spent much time together in the last three or so...

The CEO felt a hollowness twisting around his insides. His mind began moving backwards.

He felt a painful jolt as he remembered his puppy's protests.

 _'You expect me to say 'I love you'?'_

Yes, Jou had said it once or twice. Seto hadn't really taken him seriously, though- he assumed that was just a normal, romanticist phrase; an over-used notion casually expressed on a whim.

But apparently, he'd meant it. His puppy was truly in love with him.

 _'I have been the most unselfish boyfriend on the planet!'_

Seto scowled as he thought of the blonde's multiple arguments. Of course they didn't go on many public dates- he couldn't risk being outed as gay! Many of the top businessmen in Japan were old, staunch bigots. If they learned that the CEO of KaibaCorp was gay, they might withdraw their investments and contracts. Hell, _it could_ _ **destroy**_ _KaibaCorp!_

He thought Jounouchi understood that, at least.

Besides, Jou was always insisting that they spend most of their time together with Mokuba. He seemed perfectly fine with them all going somewhere as a group- the circus, the movies, KaibaLand... sometimes Jou even _refused_ to join them, saying that they needed more, quote: 'one-on-one bro time.'

The annoyed brunette frowned. 'Why would the pup encourage me to spend more time with Mokuba, if he really wanted to spend more time with me?'

Suddenly, Jou's words vaguely echoed through his consciousness.

 _'_ _An'_ _I love that kid, too.'_

Seto thought back to last week, when the three of them were eating dinner together. Mokuba was practically bouncing off his chair.

 _'Are we really going to the Honshu Regional Tournament, Seto?!'_

 _The CEO gave a rare chuckle. 'Yes, we're going.' He looked across the table to see Jou giving him an exceedingly warm look. Then the blonde snickered softly as he tilted his head towards the younger Kaiba._

 _Mokuba had started rattling off a long list of the top duelists entered in the tournament. He looked absolutely ecstatic. Seto looked back at Jou and shared his quiet laugh. Jou wasn't even going with, and he was genuinely happy._

...because he wanted Mokuba to be happy.

Jou was willing to give up his heavily-constricted time with his beloved boyfriend just to keep his 'partly-adopted little brother' happy.

Just like Seto himself would do.

Two brilliant blue eyes blinked in simultaneous realization.

'Oh... _damn it_.'

After a few more minutes of deep thought, Seto realized that this was more than semi-serious.

He was going to lose him. He was going to lose his puppy.

He had to do something- but what?

He groaned as he decided that Jou was right- they really didn't spend time together. And maybe he didn't know Jou as well as he thought.

His secretary nearly died of shock when he informed her that he was going home early- and no, Mokuba had not been injured or kidnapped.

The early departure surprised Roland, but Kaiba offered no explanations. And Roland was wise enough not to ask. He didn't say a word until they pulled up to the mansion.

"We're home, Master Kaiba." He held the door open and watched the tall mogul step out.

Most of the staff was still off-duty, as Mokuba wasn't home yet (and Seto himself was certainly never home this early). The elder Kaiba groaned as he rubbed his forehead. He headed to the kitchen to fix something for himself. He needed something to eat, and something to clear his head.

Regular, not decaf.

The CEO strode into the main dining area. Seto paused when he heard a faint laugh. There were voices coming from the other side of the swinging doors by the chef's kitchen.

He vaguely recognized the voices as two of their young, female maids. They also sounded excited, which was odd.

Most of the staff had been saddened when Jou left. The teen had a way of winning people over, and he always tried to do things himself, so the staff wouldn't have to. This oftentimes resulted in an even bigger mess; but the majority of the staff members could never begrudge the well-meaning, loveable klutz.

An irritating voice interrupted the billionaire's inner musings.

"So, I hear the blonde gold-digger is finally gone?"

The dragon-deck master found himself unexpectedly listening in. He glared at the partly-open doors.

"Yes, apparently they had a spat, although no one knows why."

There was some rather disdainful laughter. "I think I can guess- Kaiba-sama got bored of his boy-toy and went looking for a new one."

"Mei!"

"What?! Look at all those phones and laptops- the boss is always looking to upgrade to something 'new and improved.'"

The tall brunette gave a low growl of disapproval. He would never try to 'upgrade' from his puppy! There _was_ no upgrade from Jou!

"But isn't that gutter trash in love with him?"

More disbelieving cackles. "Oh _please_ , don't tell me you're falling for that 'dating' crap! Kaiba-sama has the personality of a filing cabinet and all the romance of a stapler. No one's going to be seriously interested in dating _that._ Not to mention they never actually go on public dates- and you know the big, bold Kaiba-sama wouldn't be embarrassed unless he was keeping a whore."

The billionaire clenched his teeth together. He wasn't _embarrassed_ by Jou (well, at least not for that reason) and his puppy was certainly _**NOT**_ a whore.

"Besides, why else would that boy keep coming back? It's obvious he comes from a _really_ trashy background- I hear he was flat-broke when Kaiba-sama hired him. But rather than just working at the company, he found a lonely billionaire to sell himself out to. Haven't you noticed that Kaiba-sama has been going to bed earlier? An insanely rich bachelor with a hot body? That gaudy gutter-scum probably thought he'd won the lottery!"

Two blue eyes widened in shock- was this what they really thought of Jou?! He knew these maids were both rather new, but they surely must have seen more to Jou than this!

"He even sucks up to the little brother- it's pathetic! He must be really desperate if he thinks playing 'babysitter' will get him extra cash."

The other girl snickered. "You're right. In fact, I bet Kaiba-sama pays him to be 'friends' with the brat and spend time with him- everyone knows Kaiba-sama certainly doesn't!"

The mansion's owner had heard enough. He flung the swinging doors open and snapped at the startled maids.

" **You two.** **Fired.** _ **Get out.**_ **"**

The two girls quickly fled the grounds, terrified of the business prodigy's infamous wrath. But even though the two tarts were physically gone, their words still rang through their former boss' head.

 _'The blonde gold-digger?'_

His expression soured as he paced the cold tiles of the kitchen floor.

 _'But rather than just working, he found a lonely billionaire to sell himself out to.'_

The CEO glared at the wall.

Jou had never asked for money. In fact, he regularly insisted on paying for random things when they went out. Seto usually fought with him over this, insisting that he had far more cash to burn. But Jou was (usually at least, if not more) stubborn, and paid practically half the time. In fact, Seto was pretty certain he'd never transferred any money to him- aside from his paycheck, of course.

Heck, the only times Seto had even given him physical cash was when they passed by a vending machine and Jou was out of small coins. But that rarely happened unless they were at the zoo or a secret date at the mall.

Which, he admitted, wasn't very often.

 _'Oh please, don't tell me you're falling for that 'dating' crap. Kaiba-sama has the personality of a filing cabinet and all the romance of a stapler.'_

Seto nearly snorted to himself. True, he wasn't known to be the life of the party. But that was part of why he enjoyed Jou's company so much- Seto was the rice, and Jou was the spice.

He felt his face lift slightly as he pictured that crazy blonde- yes, he definitely enjoyed his Katsuya-curry.

Feeling inspired, Seto's mind began quickly moving. Soon, he had a complete plan to bring back the spice of his life.

Now all he needed was a few discreet phone calls, and everything would be set.

Meanwhile, several miles away, the Brooklyn-born duelist was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling from his bed. He just wanted a few minutes alone to think, but Yugi and his friends kept 'checking up' on him. It was well-intended, but Jou was starting to feel a little over-whelmed.

As if on cue, his cell phone started ringing again. Jou sighed as he check the caller ID.

/Lil' Sis/

...cr*p.

He'd forgotten that Shizuka would've seen the news broadcasts about KaibaCorp- she was probably worried. But he really didn't feel like talking right now-

The ringing kept on even after his voice-mail had picked up. He lost his phone a lot, so Shizuka usually called it more than once so he could find it.

He sighed as he hit the 'answer' button. "Hey, lil' sis."

" _Nii-san! Are you alright?! I just heard about what happened with KaibaCorp- what's going on?"_

"It's a long story, but everythin' should be alright now- y'see, the company that actually made the products-" He went on to explain the whole scandal, trying to hide his discomfort.

But the kind-hearted sister could tell something was bothering her big brother, and Shizuka began pressuring him to tell the whole story.

With a sigh, the blonde began roughly detailing what had happened with Seto. He tried to keep it simple and casual, but the teenage girl wasn't fooled.

"He hasn't been treating me like a boyfriend- I thought maybe it was nerves or somethin' (y'know, 'cuz he ain't exactly 'Mr. Sociable') but now it's lookin' like he jus' doesn't see me that way."

" _Oh no... that sounds really serious. Are you sure you want to break up with him?"_

Jou's response was instantaneous. "No- I don't want to. But... I might not have a choice- it ain't healthy for either of us if we don' feel the same. Eventually one or both of us are gonna get hurt, an' the longer we stretch it out, the worse it'll be."

There was a soft sigh on the other end. _"Oh, big brother... I'm so sorry."_

"Nah, it's fine- I was gettin' gassy from all a' that rich food, anyway."

There was a very brief laugh before the younger sibling turned serious. _"But seriously,_ _ni_ _i_ _-san_ _; if you ever need to talk..."_

"You'll be the first one I'll call. Or maybe I'll call Honda- I get the feelin' he'd make a great relationship counselor."

 _That_ one got a lot more laughter. Jou smirked- asking Honda for dating advice was like asking a snail how to win the Indianapolis 500.

" _Alright, well, I'm here if you need me- just stay strong, and I'll be in town next weekend, ok?"_  
The blonde finally gave a real grin. "Lookin' forward to it. Love ya, sis."

" _Love you too, big brother."_ There was a faint *click* and Jou put down his phone.

The strawberry-blonde girl sighed gently. As much as she admired her older brother, she knew he would never want to burden her with his problems. Which meant that things were probably even worse than he'd let on.

She hit the 'end call button' on her phone, and quickly dialed another number.

The cell phone only rang twice before a younger voice answered happily. "Oh, it's Shizuka! How are you?"

"Hi Mokuba- I'm afraid I'm not very good. I'm really worried about nii-san. He's not doing well and he wouldn't tell me the whole story."

The younger of the two sighed. "Yeah, same with Seto. He only said that Jou's probably not going to be back for a while."

Shizuka couldn't stop herself from gasping. _'Wouldn't be_ _back_ _for a while?_ _'_ That sounded like Kaiba expected that nii-san would be coming back soon! It seemed like Kaiba really wasn't taking this whole thing seriously. Maybe her brother had been under-reacting even more than she supposed...

"Shizuka? Are you there?"

"Yes, sorry Mokuba. I was just... thinking."

"About what we should do?" The younger voice sounded almost hopeful.

"There's nothing we really can do." She sadly admitted. "If they can't work out their problems together, then they'll never be a healthy couple."

"Oh." Mokuba wasn't totally sure he understood, but he decided to not question it. He'd already been warned that women knew more about love and all that sort of gunk.

"It's up to them- but I really hope they can work things out."

"Yeah... me too."

A short while later the two teens hung up, each quietly holding their concern for the person they loved most in the world.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was just setting when the melodic doorbell rang throughout Jou's modest apartment. The blonde reluctantly got up, expecting to see Honda or Yugi or even Anzu.

Jou was surprised to find Roland standing dutifully in front of his apartment. He peered around the hired driver, but only saw the limo he drove- with no obvious passengers. The confused teen jumped when he heard the visitor clearing his throat.

"Uh, hi, Roland. Is everythin' ok?"

The professional retainer gave a bow before answering. "Good evening, Master Jounouchi. Master Seto has requested that you join him for dinner this evening. He said that he would like to talk with you regarding a... personal matter."

The lanky blonde sighed. He'd been hoping for an evening alone to clear his thoughts, but apparently that wasn't going to happen. Regardless of what was happening between them, Jou wanted to give Kaiba a chance to at least say a few parting words. Even if he didn't remember the _**five**_ months they spent together, Jou did.

And it'd meant something to him. Just _what_ it'd meant, he wasn't exactly sure; but it was definitely too much to end with only a single, short 'good-bye.'

He reluctantly stepped inside the vehicle, and slumped forward as the limo sped up. To Jou's surprise, Roland turned the vehicle around as soon as he reached a wide enough space.

The infamous Kaiba mansion was in the other direction.

"Er, Roland? Aren't we goin' the wrong way?"

The driver merely shook his head. "Oh no, Master Jounouchi; your dinner won't be held at the mansion tonight."

Jou blinked. "O-kayyy..."

Roland was careful not to reveal an optimistic grin. He always enjoyed having the amber-eyed duelist around- and he knew his employer was happier when the lighthearted blonde was nearby.

The driver gradually accelerated, and the spotless limousine sped along the city streets.

There was no denying that Jounouchi and Seto were both rather strong-willed, and they (sometimes) brought out the worst in each other. But when they were in harmony, they shared a strong blend of mutual passions, and a trueness that gave them both great comfort.

"We've arrived, Master Jounouchi."

The Brooklyn native paused as the door was opened for him. He stepped out onto a large expanse of black pavement.

They were in a giant parking lot. A massive building towered over the dark surface- the Domino Mega-Plex. The largest movie theater in the city, the Domino Mega-Plex boasted over thirty screens, and was by far the most popular date destination for the city's younger generation.

Roland had to guide the bewildered teen inside. Jou was shocked. Kaiba had always sworn him to secrecy- and for good reason. The blonde knew what could happen if those disgusting, loaded bigots running the other companies found out that the youngest CEO in Japan's history was gay.

Jou was so busy looking at the surrounding ticket booths and concession stands that he almost didn't notice the other tall teen.

Seto cleared his throat and stepped forward towards the newcomers. He gave a rare smile. "I'm glad you came. I bought all the tickets for tonight. We have the place to ourselves."

Jou blinked, still bewildered. "But- what about the people in the other theaters? An' the staff?"

Seto chuckled- clearly enjoying the other's confusion. "I said I bought _all_ the tickets for tonight. As in, _every_ single ticket for _every_ single show. And the staff are all my own."

Indeed, Jou recognized some of the mansion staff. He smiled at them before turning back to the dragon duelist.

"Seto... you really didn' have to do all a' this."

Words could not describe how elated the brunette felt to hear his puppy calling him by his first name again.

"No, I think I did. I spend all this time at the company trying to make money- but what's the point if I'm not going to spend it on something extraordinary?"

Jou began looking around more thoroughly. "Yeah, I gotta admit, rentin' a whole theater is pretty extraordinary."

A smirk grew on the other's face.

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the theater."

A servant suddenly ran up to his employer and handed the CEO something wrapped in a silk handkerchief. Seto carefully unrolled the handsome wrappings and handed the object to Jounouchi.

It was a single, red rose- no thorns or imperfections.

"Seto?" The blonde was a little bemused by the gesture.

But his beau gave him a determined look.

"Jou... will you be my boyfriend? Still?" Seto gently took the blonde's free hand in his own. "I want you by my side. I know nothing about serious relationships... but you are the only one I would be willing to try and learn for."

Jounouchi sighed and squeezed the larger hand holding his own. "Kaiba, I love you; and I know ya don't wanna hear this, but I don't think you can live keep living like this. You're tryin' to balance yer online classes, a mega-company, **and** raising your brother. One day you're gonna have a breakdown or a heart attack. You need to figure out a way to get some of that weight off yer shoulders. I mean, just look at them- they're too skinny to hold anything up!" Jou snickered playfully while the brunette rolled his eyes.

There was a moment's pause before the hickory-colored eyes turned solemn. "Bu' seriously- there's gotta be a way you can take away some of those obligations-" the younger teen began gesturing with his hands- "an' I think the most obvious is gettin' someone else to help you with your company. Ya need to find someone you can trust to split up some of your responsibilities- I mean, you're always talkin' about readin' those giant reports and stuff, right? Well, why not have someone else read them an' summarize them for you?"

"Those _are_ the summaries I'm reading."

The other boy stared in amazement. "Oh. Well... still, there's gotta be some stuff that doesn't _have_ to be done directly by you, right? Not so long as you've got someone you trained an' can trust."

The CEO frowned at the word 'trust.' "You're not thinking of Mokuba, are you?"

"What?! No!" Jou sounded distressed. Mokuba hadn't been actively involved in KaibaCorp for months. "Not on your life! I don't want him to have to worry about that stuff anymore! He should be worrying about school stuff, like homework and 'kick-me' signs."

"Shouldn't he worry more about 'kick-me' signs when he's at the mansion while _you're_ there?" Seto remarked wryly.

"Hey! It was one time, sheesh! But, _no-_ not Mokuba- I'm thinkin' someone already with the company, who knows the ropes."

Kaiba's face went blank. "You can't mean yourself."

Jou only laughed. "Nah, you need someone to make your work _easier_ , not harder!"

"I've thought about hiring someone to help with some of the minor decisions," the business magnate admitted, "however, the only two people I would trust with that would be you and Mokuba."

Jou raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't trust me-?"

Two deep, blue eyes stared straight into the amber eyes following his own. "I trust you with my company." His voice was low and steady. "I trust you with my home, and my secrets. I trust you with nearly everything, Jou. But I'm not used to trusting someone with my heart. It's a lot more... difficult, than I expected. But I plan to try."

The fair-haired teen nodded. "Ya got a lot of really good employees, an' I'm sure some of them are very loyal. If you want, I'd be happy to point out who I think is loyal, an' then you can look into 'em further to see if they'd be a good aide." Jou grinned. "'Sides, it's not like they could make any mistakes as big as mine! Remember the copy machine an' the toner?"

The brunette just laughed a bit before wrapping his arm around the other's waist in a placating manner.

"Tell you what. Now that the 'toxic' crisis has been averted, and the company responsible has been caught, I should have a little more time to spend at home. Why don't I take off tomorrow and we can spend the day doing some of those 'date ideas' you thought up last month?"

"Really?!" The golden-brown eyes seemed to light up as Jou stared at him. Seto was certain if his puppy had a tail, it would be wagging like crazy.

"Mm-hmm."

"Wait, what about Mokuba?" Jou looked a little apprehensive.

"Mokuba's been asking to hang out with his friends more, so I'll instruct our second driver to take him wherever he likes after school."

There was nothing in the world quite like the feeling he got when his puppy gave him that smile.

"And Jou?"

"Yeah?"

"...I love you."

"..."

"Jou? Puppy?"

 _ ***THWUMP***_

"Oh, crap."

Thankfully, the bump on Jou's head didn't stop them from enjoying their day off, but Seto promised that he wouldn't say those three words again unless they were sitting... or else, he suggested with a devilish smirk- unless they were both lying down.

Which earned him a teasing growl followed by a series of passionate puppy kisses.


End file.
